Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Dueimco.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Dueimcoxe2x80x99.
The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with uniform plant habit and attractive flower bract coloration.
The new Poinsettia originated from a cross made by the Inventor of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number E 102, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with a proprietary selection of of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number EE 94, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Dueimco was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany. The selection of this plant was based on its attractive flower bract coloration and uniform plant habit.
Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminal cuttings taken at Rheinberg, Germany, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Dueimcoxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Dueimcoxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Inflorescences with bright red-colored flower bracts.
2. Dark green-colored leaves with red-colored petioles.
3. Uniform and rounded plant habit.
4. Early flowering; response time, about seven weeks.
5. Excellent post-production longevity.
Compared to plants of the female parent, the selection E 102, plants of the new Poinsettia are more compact, have darker green foliage and have more intense red flower bract coloration. Compared to plants of the male parent, selection EE 94, plants of the new Poinsettia flower earlier.
Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No, 7,825. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar 490 in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Poinsettia had slightly longer lateral branches than plants of the cultivar 490.
2. Petioles of plants of the new Poinsettia were shorter than petioles of plants of the cultivar 490. In addition, petioles of plants of the new Poinsettia were red in color whereas petioles of plants of the cultivar 490 were red purple in color.
3. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about one week earlier than plants of the cultivar 490.